Trailer: 'Moneyball' aims for 'The Blind Side' sweet spot

The Blind Side proved that Michael Lewis’ non-fiction books about a sport’s intricacies could be successfully sold at the box-office if they are wrapped in an old-fashioned underdog tale. In Moneyball, out Sept. 23, general manager Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, attempts to pull the cash-strapped Oakland A’s out of mediocrity with a contrarian new philosophy on scoring talent. Clearly, that alone won’t draw in folks who don’t yet know what WHIP stands for, so Aaron Sorkin’s script delves deeper into Beane’s homelife and his relationship with his awkward baseball-geek assistant, the blandly-named Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) instead of the real-life Paul DePodesta. Watch the trailer:

The trailer works on many levels – the Friday Night Lights-esque score doesn’t hurt – and I’d like to think this film could be be Pitt’s Jerry Maguire. He just seems so likable and comfortable in this character’s skin.